Kashmir funding case: NIA files chargesheet against Hafiz Saeed, Salahuddin, 10 others

New Delhi, Jan 18 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed a 12794-page chargesheet against twelve persons, including Jamat-d-Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, for “conspiring to wage war” against the government by carrying out “secessionist activities” in Jammu and Kashmir.
The chargesheet, according to a press release today, was filed in the NIA Special Court, Patiala House Courts Complex, in NIA No.RC-10/2017/NIA/DLI.
“The 12,794 page Chargesheet has been filed under sections 120B, 121, 121A and 124A of the Indian Penal Code and sections 13, 16, 17, 18, 20, 38, 39 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967,” said the release.
The accused persons charge-sheeted today are Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, Aftab Ahmad Shah@ Shahid-ul-Islam, Altaf Ahmad Shah @ Fantoosh, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar @ Bitta Karate, Mohammad Akbar Khanday, Raja Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali, Kamran Yusuf and Javed Ahmad Bhat.
“The National Investigation Agency registered this case on 30.05.2017 and the first arrests were made on 24.07.2017. During the course of investigation, the NIA teams conducted searches at over 60 locations spread across the States of Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana and Delhi and seized over 950 incriminating documents and over 600 electronic devices. During the investigation, over 300 witnesses were examined,” said the release.
The investigation, it said, also brought out that the secessionist and separatist leaders belonging to the All Parties Hurriyat Conference have established a network of cadres throughout Kashmir Valley who “incite the youth to attack all symbols of Indian sovereignty, especially Indian security forces who are deployed there for the maintenance of law and order.”
“Under the overall guidance and instructions from Hafiz Syed, Syed Salahuddin and their Pakistani handlers, the separatist leaders of Jammu & Kashmir, and stone-pelters form strategies and action-plans to launch violent protests and communicate the same to the masses in the form of ‘protest calendars’ released through newspapers, social media and religious leaders, creating an atmosphere of terror and fear in the State of Jammu & Kashmir.”
Further investigation in this case shall continue, it said.
The agency said analysis of documents and digital devices had established that the Hurriyat leaders had established a network in the Kashmir Valley to incite the youth to “attack all symbols of Indian sovereignty, especially Indian security forces”.
“Under the overall guidance and instructions from Hafiz Syed, Syed Salahuddin and their Pakistani handlers, the separatist leaders and stone-pelters form strategies and action plans to launch violent protests… creating an atmosphere of terror and fear in Jammu and Kashmir.”
The NIA said its probe “based on scientific and oral evidences has conclusively established that for carrying out terrorist and subversive activities, the gang of the accused persons is receiving funds from Pakistani agencies through hawala conduits such as Watali”.
It said funds for such activities were also raised “by generating illegal profits from LoC barter trade by doing under-invoicing and cash-dealings”.
“The money is routed through fake and bogus companies floated abroad and remitted to the Hurriyat leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. All these funds are then pumped by them into fuelling mass violence and terrorist activities so as to cause damage to public property, disrupt the essential services throwing normal life into chaos with an intention to threaten the unity, integrity and sovereignty of India”.
The case dates back to 2016 when violent protests rocked the Valley after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter.